... Favorites of 2012 ...

Hello my amazing followers!

I thought it would be fun to share my favorite picture from each session of 2012 with you. Hope you love them as much as I do!

Your favorite photog, 

Sarah

... The Photog eat Photog world we live in ...

 A few days I was looking through my news feed on facebook and seen that another local photographer, Self Portraits had posted a link, found here, to her blog with the message reading "A good blog post for other photogs!". I knew I had to check it out, and boy am I glad that I did. The words that were spilled onto that blog post hit me right at home, well... really close to home actually. Did you happen to see that part where the she talks about sharing locations and one photographer ignoring her? Well that was me. Before we go any further I do want to add that thanks to Facebook creating a "other" message folder for messages to be received into from people you are not friends with, that of course Facebook did in fact send Baileys message to me there. To make matters worse, I never.. and I mean never check my other folder. It always completely slipped my mind and I honestly find it to be completely unnecessary.

Once I had finally discovered Baileys message a few months after she had sent it, I felt completely awful. I sent her a message right away apologizing that I didn't mean to ignore her what so ever, that it had in fact been sent to my others folder. When I read her blog post from a few days ago, again I felt awful and wanted to write her again letting her know how truly sorry I was. We ended up having a great chat and realized that the situation was a huge misunderstanding. And guess what? It felt awesome to have a convo with another local photog. Because let's face it, it's a tough world and most of the time competitors (in the same area) don't really get along. But... after reading the heartfelt words on her blog, I agreed 100% with everything that Bailey had written. I had even posted a facebook post on my facebook fan page back in January regarding the same issue. It's something that needs to change.

After talking with Bailey, I was flooded with my own similar situations. Man, I've had some people say some very hurtful things. I've been mocked about my camera body, had images that I took made fun of, been told I charge too much and I've even had clients tell me that when they worked with another photog that that photog made fun of my clientele not being as big as theirs. Obviously I know that photog gets more clients than I do, but one of the main reasons is because I book sessions to the amount that I'm comfortable with. I work a second job, have a husband and a 3 year old son and of course have my photography. I don't want to rush myself or end up creating images that I feel my clients will not be happy with. Once I feel that I have more time to add more sessions into my schedule, then I will do so. However, as of right now I'm happy with the clientele that I bring in each month.

A few months ago I decided to take all that negativity and turn it into good. So I told myself that I would make a change. I started a little thing that I called Small Business Sunday with Sarah Elizabeth Photography. Each Sunday I give a shout out to another small local business on my facebook fan page and ask all my fans to go show them some support. The feedback has been more than I ever imaged. I'm starting to see it spread like wildfire and it makes me incredibly happy to witness it happen.

Just because I myself am a photographer does not mean that I will not tell another photog how amazing I think their work is, that I will not like their photo or that I won't recommend clients to them whenever I'm already booked. I personally love telling other photographers how amazing they are, how much I look up to them & how much they have inspired me.

Another thing we need to remember is that we all started from the exact same place. We didn't grow into the artists that we are over night, we didn't grow our clientele over night and we certainly did not become professionals over night. 

Why should we keeping breaking each other down and saying things that could possibly make someone give up their dream? Who seriously wants to ruin something that means so much to someone? Let's stand up and make a difference.

Here's my challenge to you -I encourage any and all local, Missouri and even world wide photographers (fingers crossed my blog someday makes it across the world) to take part in a new beginning. Make friends with other photographers. Tell them how beautiful their session was at they posted today, show support, ask them for advice or even just give them a smile when you see them out in public. Get to know the person behind the camera before you are so quick to judge. You'll never know the opportunity of an amazing friendship if you never take a step forward.

Ask yourself- Do we really think that if we are constantly talking down other photogs, making fun of them and destroying dreams that clients are going to want to work with us? I know I would never want to work with anyone like that. Would you?

Let me add that in no way do I consider myself the "perfect" example of what im talking about. I would be completely lying if I said that I don't think that i've never done anything that may have hurt another photog. But I have and fully intend to never revert back to those ways. Sometimes you gotta let things go, tell yourself your an amazing person and move forward. Anyone can change and I know that I have for the better. 

... life, family & photography ...

When I seen a few friends posting today about the loss of a loved one, it hit closer to home than I ever thought it would. 

It made me think about how badly I lack at giving myself what I give others. 

How I take more pictures of other peoples families than I do my own. 

If I was to pass right at this moment, would my family have pictures of all of us that they could cherish forever? Yes, a few. But not nearly the amount that I want them to have.

No where near the amount of memories caught on film that I want them to always cherish and remember.

So that being said....

Starting today, I'm making a promise to my family to take more pictures and create more memories for us.  I promise to take more pictures FOR myself. (not of myself because well... that would be kinda conceded honestly)

Not just the average posed pictures where everyone is one big happy smiling family, but the ones that speak louder than words ever can. 

The ones that are 100% of our everyday lifestyles.

The ones that will make my family look at a picture and say "That's exactly how I remember that day."

I feel that I should say something along the lines of "This is not my way of announcing anything that people should know". This is just me simply starting that I need to start doing more for myself and my family when it comes to the photography part of my life.  

 I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.  ~Author Unknown

The Olivia Act Recipient- The Eric Boyer Family

"The Olivia Act is named after one of the children killed in Newtown. Olivia’s family had family pictures taken a short time before she was killed on that horrible day. Upon hearing about this, a photographer was moved to give away a family photo shoot and has challenged other photographers to do the same. I know that not all families have the resources to have photos taken and I'd love 2013 to be ...the year for one of them. I will be taking nominations for a family who you think would appreciate this timeless gift. The session will take place sometime after the new year into Spring. Email me your nominations at sarahelizabeth.photography22@gmail.com or send them to me in a message including a brief message on who you're nominating and the reason you think they would love this. The family chosen will be contacted via phone call, so please include their phone number as well! Please email me by December 31. Please SHARE this status so your friends and family will know too! Can't wait to gift a family with these memories that can't be replaced or taken away!"

 

This is the status that several photographers were posting just a few short days after the horrific shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Once the word of the Act got out, it spread like wildfire to photographers all over the United States, North America and before you know it even the whole world. Nominations were accepted until December 31st, 2012 at midnight. After that, I looked read through all those stories. Stories of all colors, each touching my heart in a different way. It was so hard to pick a family that is "more deserving" than another, and really I don't like putting it like that because all of the stories, every single one, seemed more than deserving. In the end, I went with the two stories that my heart was leaning to.

 This morning I received word back from one of the two families that I had chosen as the recipients of The Olivia Act. The Eric Boyer Family. Words cannot describe how happy I am to have received several nominations for them. Samantha, Eric's wife, agreed to let me share their story with you.

The Eric Boyer Family

 "Me & Eric have been together 9 years we just celebrated our 7 year wedding anniversary on December 1st. We have tried for a child for 8 1/2 years, I have miscarried 4 times. I have poly cystic ovarian syndrome so it was hard to conceive and every time we did I'd miscarry. In the spring we learned I was pregnant and already almost out of the 1st trimester we were so over joyed. Eric had been having a lot of tailbone pain & we had went to several different ER around here even St. Anthony's Eric traveled with his work. So it was hard to get in reg doctor never knew when or how long he'd b home. On October 16th he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer that had spread significantly to his liver dr was amazed. He was walking, let alone had been working( he said he had to work we had our baby girl on the way). Tumor in colon was 13 cm. I was 9 months pregnant. My due date was October 18, 2 days away. We were devastated( his mom passed away from colon cancer n 2007). We just knew god would heal him. We knew we had a hard road but not impossible. We have a lot of faith. We were released on the October 19th and he continued his radiation as out patient. On October 28th we were blessed with our beautiful angle Grace Mae. From day  one he was so in love with her as she was him. Eric got a bacteria infection called c-diff ( it attacks the colon & bowel where his cancer was). Grace was now 3 weeks old and we had to leave her with my mom while he was n hospital I would never leave his side. His colon was very swelled from bacteria there was a lot of complications after 6 weeks he started to improve the dr said being home for holidays was very realistic goal. On December 20th his colon perforated from being so big for so long and they had to do surgery or it would have been fatal. The surgery was very high risk & with him there was a lot more risk due to his condition. Once again we knew god would give us a miracle. Surgery was done & Eric blood pressure had dropped & they couldn't get it stable. They told me he wouldn't make it threw the night. His BP started getting better so I just knew he would pull threw god wouldn't give us grace then take him from us. The next day his BP started dropping again & heart rate as well. I laid there beside him & told him I knew if he had a choice he wouldn't leave me & grace & I know how hard he had fought but it was ok I didn't want him n pain ( by that time he had slipped into a coma). Tears dropped from his eyes as I told him I loved him & then he was gone. I believe he was waiting for me to tell him it was ok to go. Dr said they didn't know how he made it threw the night. I had been telling him to find the strength to keep fighting b/c grace & I need him, but I couldn't b selfish anymore he was suffering & I didn't want that. He was the one true love of my life, my soulmate & best friend. We were never apart we did everything together. He was 33. I never imagined my life without him and with a 9 week old baby we tried so long for. It seems like my life has ended. On Christmas Day we had to take grace to ER & she was transferred to children's for the next 2 days. We spend her 1st Xmas without her daddy & in the hospital. I missed Eric visitation I know he would kick my butt if I would have left her. I know he is here with us in spirit and will watch over us. We were released on the day of his funeral. Financially we struggled he didn't have health insurance & he was our provider. If it would was not for the support of our family I don't know what I would do. There will not b a day or sec that goes by that my heart does not break especially for grace her dad was / is an amazing man so kind, generous, and loving. He would do anything for anyone. I tell her everyday how much her dad loves her & she is daddy's little princess and will do so everyday I am on this earth. I will never understand why god took him from us but I find comfort looking into grace's face she looks so much like him. I know one day we will b together again he will hold me tight, kiss me on the forehead like he always does tell me he love me & we will never have to let go of each other. He is my best friend and the one true love of my life. Nothing will ever be normal again & I don't know how to b without him. I know I will hold grace tight and find peace someday. I never wanted him to suffer but I never wanted to lose him. This has been a very bitter sweet time of my life. I cannot thank u for what u r doing telling our story & the photos."

 - Samantha Boyer